N Scale Bachmann Thomas

[N Scale Sudrian]

Checked in on the latest Trainworld Thomas stream. Decorated samples for Emily's Coaches look nice, glad to see those coming along smoothly. I was a bit skeptical of them at first due to being based on the slightly-too-big N Scale Annie and Clarabel. But given how large Emily is, the sizing looks like won't be as jarring is as it is with Thomas.

Bit of a shame there was no update on Toby's distribution in this stream like there was for Ryan, I suppose we are to assume he's either on the water or awaiting transit...

[Chaz]

Bit of a shame there was no update on Toby's distribution in this stream like there was for Ryan, I suppose we are to assume he's either on the water or awaiting transit...

I'm sure within the next month or so we will have an update on the N scale Toby's arrival in the warehouse since we received updates on that and Ryan within a month apart from each other.  Maybe even a painted sample of Gordon too.

Emily's coaches turned out pretty great.  Wouldn't mind picking those up at some point in the future depending on how the Emily model itself turns out fully painted.

[N Scale Sudrian]

Bit of a shame there was no update on Toby's distribution in this stream like there was for Ryan, I suppose we are to assume he's either on the water or awaiting transit...

Well, consider my disappointment retracted. Latest Facebook post from Bachmann says that both Ryan and Toby are shipping now, which is excellent to hear. I'll post my thoughts on Toby once I've got my order in but I am optimistic about its quality.

[TrainFan97]

At last, HO Scale Ryan and N Scale Toby are now officially in stock!

The recent stream showed painted samples of Emily's coaches in N Scale, as well as an update to HO Scale Beau's tender. Hopefully next time for sure, we see painted samples of N Scale Gordon and Emily.

[Chaz]

Two friends arrived in the mail today, one of them was Ryan who I will be doing a separate post on later. The other, is the one who I want to talk about first which is the n scale Toby. So, as usual, here are my thoughts:


When the N scale range was first announced, there were several characters who I had really high anticipation of seeing being introduced in the future after the range's first launch with Thomas and Percy.  Toby was definitely one of those engines, and I was really glad that he was the fourth engine to join the range right after James.  It's really showing the true potential of the N scale range as Bachmann is now introducing characters who not only aren't the main three engines, (Thomas, Percy and James), but also because Toby is the first engine Bachmann has introduced that Tomix never even announced.  It's already a significant milestone, especially with Gordon and Emily on the way, with more likely on the way.  Question is, how does the model hold up?


The best words I would use to describe the N scale Toby are, as cliche as this sounds, simple, yet effective.  Toby has always been very popular with Bachmann, both in HO and large scale.  The N scale Toby is able to stand on its own compared to them, and in no doubt will be a popular seller as more people pick it up.


The paintwork on Toby is very well done, as usual.  Bachmann have done an excellent job keeping Toby accurate to the CGI design, right down to the handrail details, his bell being molded on the roof and the head and tail lamps on both ends of the model. 


The face also captures Toby's face from the CGI series.  Don't know if it's just me, but sometimes I feel like a face can really capture a character's personality if done right.  Toby's CGI face seems to do just that for his persona in the CGI series, a character who tries his best despite getting discouraged by other things, usually comments by other engines.  It's not a persona I like personally, but it is how he is perceived on the show and it found it's way onto the most of his merch so I can give Bachmann credit for accuracy.


One distinctive feature about Toby, are his cow-catchers and sideplates.  For the cow-catchers, Bachmann have done a much better job adding the rapido couplers to both ends of Toby than the HO and large scale models without creating a hole on both ends to accommodate the couplers.  While it may have been understandable in the case of HO and large scale, it does baffle me a little bit on how the N scale model of all things does a much better job incorporating the couplers on Toby than that two models that are larger than it.  Not that I'm complaining or anything; it's a huge improvement and I appreciate that extra mile Bachmann went with Toby.  The cowcatchers are not open like the large scale model, but it's understandable considering how small the cowcatchers themselves are. 


The sideplates are also well done too.  I love how the steps to get into the cab are holes which were absent in the HO model but not the large scale model.  Great consistency.  One complaint I've seen about Toby in the past with the other two models are the lack of an open cab, and while I think this is a pretty significant fault for the large scale model due to its large size, I think it definitely gets a pass here with the N scale model, because of how much smaller it is.  Even though the model does not have a moving eye mechanism, it's still requires a lot of room for the motor inside the model, so you really have to go with what you can get with such a small model.


Finally, one feature about the N scale Toby that is exclusive to it and not the HO or large scale models are the inclusion of siderods.  I didn't notice this until I ran the model, so it may be a little hard to see.  Upon further inspection, I found out that Toby shares the same motor and chassis as Thomas which was something I'm surprised the large scale model didn't do.  Having siderods or not has never been a deal-breaker in the past but I appreciate that attention to accuracy since the siderods are hidden underneath the sideplates.  It also allowed Toby to be a really smooth performer which we will talk about later.


Overall, I think aesthetically Bachmann have done a really nice job with Toby in N scale, they have not only managed to keep the simplistic design of the model done really well, but they even went as far as going the extra mile on detail, more so than the HO, and in some areas, the large scale model too!


In terms of running, like the rest of the other engines, Toby does run very smoothly at both fast and slow speeds.  Even at a slow speed, which is typical for the character, Toby ran nicely on the switches on my OO9 layout which usually some engines I ran in the past would have trouble on in slower speeds.  It was also able to handle tight corners and shunting in the yard too.


Toby was also able to handle a good amount of rolling stock, in case anyone was wondering.  Managed to pull most of my available rolling stock with ease in case anyone wanted to give Toby a "megatrain".  Major hauling power however, is never necessary for a model of Toby of all characters.  The inclusion of the siderods not only are a major factor to his smooth performance but odds are, played a factor with his hauling power.


That being said, and I think it goes without saying, most people who run a model of Toby either let him just pull Henrietta and/or a couple of wagons and I think all models of Toby do a great job of doing just that.


Overall, Bachmann did an excellent job with their Toby model.  As I said earlier, Toby is a simple yet effective model.  Whether you're a fan of the character or getting into the N scale range, Toby is definitely worth adding to your collection.  It meets the appropriate expectations and even exceeds a few, hardly anything wrong with it to be frank.  Looking forward to further updates on Gordon and Emily in addition to further pieces of N scale stock.  Right now though I better get to working on my post for Ryan, in the meantime I hope everyone enjoyed this review.


Question is now that Bachmann announced Henrietta in N, am I going to have two Henrietta models now, or am I going to have to get creative with my custom model once the official one arrives..?

[JacobSK]

Excellent review, Chaz! My TrainWorld order for Toby (and Ryan, too) shipped out yesterday, and your review has me foaming at the mouth with excitement for Toby! Everything so far N scale so far seems to be rectifying many of the criticisms that leave something to be desired in HO and Large Scale (if they exist in that scale).

Something worth mentioning is that the original model prop of Toby from the classic series had siderods (notable in episodes such as "Time for Trouble" and "Toby Had A Little Lamb"), not to mention Toby's real life basis, the J70 steam tram, also had siderods, so I applaud Bachmann for that little Easter egg of attention to detail!

All in all, you made some great points, and I look forward to giving my model a good running session when he drops!

[N Scale Sudrian]

Very good review, Chaz. I'm still waiting on my Toby to arrive from my retailer of choice, so it is nice to get a preview of some of the fine details.

Interesting to see the reuse of the Thomas chassis on Toby. Very clever, and something that only an engine with fully hidden wheels like Toby can really get away with. I recall the HO and Large Scale versions of Toby have only two out of three axles powered via gears, which I remember hearing led to poor performance? I've never had an HO Toby so I may be mistaken on this... But I am glad to see N Scale Toby has rectified this issue by powering all six axles via the siderods. Mechanically simpler and already confirms it will perform well, given N Scale Thomas' excellent quality.

Perhaps, some time in the near future, Thomas' chassis can be used to power a certain other tramway engine in N Scale.

[thomasj219]

Great review man! You know I never realized those black indents on the side were steps.    Now it's so obvious. 😂

I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts on Ryan. He's so detailed.

As for Henrietta. Maybe you could make yours RWS accurate when it arrives?    Or turn her into Hannah if that interests you.

For some reason the back of the model is my favorite bit. The buffer beam looks fantastic. As do the cow catchers. Can't decide if I'm more excited to see Emily or Gordon next. I know it's been said, but I do wish they had model era faces. That's the only thing that kills it for me. But that'll be an easy swap one day I think with all the talented fans out there.

I wonder who will be announced next? Another big engine like Henry. Maybe twins like Donald & Douglas, a baddie like Diesel (imagine those side rods in N!) or an old favorite like Duck or Mavis!

We'll just have to wait and see.

OH! AMAZING PICTURES MAN!

[Chaz]

Thank you so much for the strong feedback everyone, the N scale Toby is a favorite of mine in the range already, but something tells me Gordon will quickly claim that title when he is ready.

The points to the siderods for better polarity and accurate to the original prop/basis are also great points as well and I'm glad everyone appreciated that extra detail as well.

As for the next engine in the range, I think in addition to Henry, Mavis is easily a very viable addition because of the clever reuse of Thomas's chassis and the inclusion of siderods.  Plus in addition to Henry and Mavis there are several other engines who I would love to see in N scale too like Edward, Duck, Diesel, Donald and Douglas, Oliver and maybe even Daisy!  It would be really nice to see most engines in HO find their way into the N scale range eventually, and with so many possibilities on the horizon it makes me very happy to be a collector of this fun range.  Can't wait to hear everyone else's thoughts on Toby once they pick him up.

[JacobSK]

As for the next engine in the range, I think in addition to Henry, Mavis is easily a very viable addition because of the clever reuse of Thomas's chassis and the inclusion of siderods.  Plus in addition to Henry and Mavis there are several other engines who I would love to see in N scale too like Edward, Duck, Diesel, Donald and Douglas, Oliver and maybe even Daisy!  It would be really nice to see most engines in HO find their way into the N scale range eventually, and with so many possibilities on the horizon it makes me very happy to be a collector of this fun range.  Can't wait to hear everyone else's thoughts on Toby once they pick him up.

Henry definitely is the next engine who should be announced...without question. Considering he and Gordon share so many parts and, including the most crucial thing: the chassis. They are roughly the same height, length and overall size. Not to mention, considering that Mattel had actually made Henry in the 2022 Wooden Railway range and even went so far as to make AEG (cannot believe I just said that!) merch of him, I'd say, he's a shoe-in for the Summer NMRA announcements, and if not, then certainly for January/February 2023!

[TrainFan97]

I just got my HO Scale Ryan and N Scale Toby today. Both are very good models.

Unlike his HO and Large Scale models, N Scale Toby actually has side rods. Thomas' chassis was recycled for Toby, complete with side rods, and it worked perfectly. Only the N Scale model has side rods, while his HO Scale and Large Scale models didn't, which could explain why he was a poor runner in those scales, with the middle wheels being unpowered on them. The N Scale model really fixed that with the inclusion of side rods.

If we do get Mavis in N Scale, she too can recycle Thomas' chassis complete with side rods, and she would be a great runner. It's such a shame that Mavis was given the short end of the stick in Large Scale. Hope she can be made in N Scale.

For now, the #1 priority for N Scale is Henry. As stated before, he would recycle Gordon's chassis, minus the trailing wheels. I would certainly welcome both Henry and Mavis to N Scale, since both would recycle existing chassis. Like Henry, Spencer and Flying Scotsman would also recycle Gordon's chassis. Here's hoping that the next Trainworld stream will show N Scale Gordon and Emily fully painted, and that Henry gets announced this NMRA.

Diesel is also one I would welcome to N Scale, and he would be great for recolors, including Paxton, who can be announced with him. Paxton's face would look so much better in N Scale than it did in HO Scale.

The fact that N Scale is getting Toad could even indicate plans for Oliver. Along with Toad, we also have three ventilated vans coming soon, which are Great Western, Fruit & Vegetable, and Ice Cream, and they're coming along very well. Regarding rolling stock for N Scale, the best choices would be Red Coaches, Express Coaches, Coal Wagon w/ Load, Red Open Wagon, and Spiteful Brake Van.

[TerencetheTractor525]

A great read, as always, Chaz! Just from looking at the pics you posted of N Scale Toby, it's amazing to see the detail that went into such a small model. The body shell looks terrific, but what impresses me most is the inclusion of side rods, let alone the same chassis as Thomas. From seeing how smoothly Thomas runs, anyone could imagine how wonderfully this Toby model would run too. Here's hoping that Mavis could be a possibility for the future for this very reason. Just imagine a Bachmann N Scale Re-Enactment of Mavis and Toby's Tightrope with a sceniced N Scale Quarry, Tramroad, etc. Now that would be something else...

[Falcon the 2nd]

I definitely agree with the idea of Mavis in N Scale! Since she has never been produced in Large Scale to date, it would be a perfect opportunity for Bachmann to introduce a new engine in the range while still being cost-efficient. After Edward and Henry, it'd be worth considering Mavis as one of the first supporting characters to produce.

The N Scale range in general continues to impress and Chaz's review just about summed up Toby's best qualities. I'm honestly considering eventually buying him after reading it, and I also imagine he'll be a great seller for his price point alone. Here's hoping they're able to start working on Henrietta soon to compliment him.

[TrainFan97]

Henrietta was announced early this year for N Scale, after she too was given the short end of the stick in Large Scale like Mavis was. Really looking forward to getting Henrietta, so Toby can have his faithful coach. Hannah would be a potential recolor. In a few months, we should hopefully see an unpainted sample of N Scale Henrietta.

I would love to have Mavis in N Scale. Although she was never made in Large Scale, an N Scale Mavis can still happen. She would use Thomas' chassis, complete with side rods like Toby. It would be her only commercially-available model to actually have side rods. But first, we at least need Edward and Henry for N Scale to complete the original main cast. The best choices for the first side characters in N Scale would be Mavis, Diesel, Duck and Oliver. The latter because we're getting Toad.

[Kemptown Branch]

I got my model of Toby yesterday, and I've really been enjoying him so far! He runs really smoothly at fast and slow speeds, and I love the way that his wood planking looks! Here's a few photos of him with my Thomas model, which is still a work in progress.








After Toby, I'm definitely looking forward to how Emily and Gordon turn out, and hopefully we'll see Henry and Edward get announced within the next couple of years!